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name: create-rule description: >- Create Cursor rules for persistent AI guidance. Use when you want to create a rule, add coding standards, set up project conventions, configure file-specific patterns, create RULE.md files, or asks about .cursor/rules/ or AGENTS.md.

Creating Cursor Rules

Create project rules in .cursor/rules/ to provide persistent context for the AI agent.

Gather Requirements

Before creating a rule, determine:

  1. Purpose: What should this rule enforce or teach?
  2. Scope: Should it always apply, or only for specific files?
  3. File patterns: If file-specific, which glob patterns?

Inferring from Context

If you have previous conversation context, infer rules from what was discussed. You can create multiple rules if the conversation covers distinct topics or patterns. Don't ask redundant questions if the context already provides the answers.

Required Questions

If the user hasn't specified scope, ask:

  • "Should this rule always apply, or only when working with specific files?"

If they mentioned specific files and haven't provided concrete patterns, ask:

  • "Which file patterns should this rule apply to?" (e.g., **/*.ts, backend/**/*.py)

It's very important that we get clarity on the file patterns.

Use the AskQuestion tool when available to gather this efficiently.

Rule File Format

Rules are .mdc files in .cursor/rules/ with YAML frontmatter:

.cursor/rules/
  typescript-standards.mdc
  react-patterns.mdc
  api-conventions.mdc

File Structure

---
description: Brief description of what this rule does
globs: **/*.ts  # File pattern for file-specific rules
alwaysApply: false  # Set to true if rule should always apply
---

# Rule Title

Your rule content here...

Frontmatter Fields

FieldTypeDescription
descriptionstringWhat the rule does (shown in rule picker)
globsstringFile pattern - rule applies when matching files are open
alwaysApplybooleanIf true, applies to every session

Rule Configurations

Always Apply

For universal standards that should apply to every conversation:

---
description: Core coding standards for the project
alwaysApply: true
---

Apply to Specific Files

For rules that apply when working with certain file types:

---
description: TypeScript conventions for this project
globs: **/*.ts
alwaysApply: false
---

Best Practices

Keep Rules Concise

  • Under 50 lines: Rules should be concise and to the point
  • One concern per rule: Split large rules into focused pieces
  • Actionable: Write like clear internal docs
  • Concrete examples: Ideally provide concrete examples of how to fix issues

Example Rules

TypeScript Standards

---
description: TypeScript coding standards
globs: **/*.ts
alwaysApply: false
---

# Error Handling

\`\`\`typescript
// ❌ BAD
try {
  await fetchData();
} catch (e) {}

// ✅ GOOD
try {
  await fetchData();
} catch (e) {
  logger.error('Failed to fetch', { error: e });
  throw new DataFetchError('Unable to retrieve data', { cause: e });
}
\`\`\`

React Patterns

---
description: React component patterns
globs: **/*.tsx
alwaysApply: false
---

# React Patterns

- Use functional components
- Extract custom hooks for reusable logic
- Colocate styles with components

Checklist

  • File is .mdc format in .cursor/rules/
  • Frontmatter configured correctly
  • Content under 500 lines
  • Includes concrete examples

Overview

Free skill — create-rule. Create Cursor rules for persistent AI guidance. Use when you want to create a rule, add coding standards, set up project conventions, configure file-specific patterns, create

What this skill does

"create-rule" is a skill you can copy, adapt, and run with any modern AI assistant. Create Cursor rules for persistent AI guidance. Use when you want to create a rule, add coding standards, set up project conventions, configure file-specific patterns, create RULE.md files, or asks about .cursor/rules/ or AGENTS.md. OpenRuna cross-links it to related prompts, agents, and tools, which makes assembling a full workflow around it straightforward. Open a new conversation and paste it in, wire it into an agent, or keep it in your team's prompt library.

Use cases

  • Keep it in a shared library as the canonical version of this skill for your organisation.
  • Fork it as a baseline and layer in your own project context, constraints, and examples.
  • Hand "create-rule" to a new teammate so their skill output matches your team's quality bar from day one.
  • Use "create-rule" when you need a repeatable skill for professional work without rewriting instructions every time.

Example output

Running this skill produces output shaped like the source material below:

# Creating Cursor Rules

Create project rules in `.cursor/rules/` to provide persistent context for the AI agent.

## Gather Requirements

Before creating a rule, determine:

1. **Purpose**: What should this rule enforce or teach?
2. **Scope**: Should it always apply, or only for specific files?
3. **File patterns**: If file-specific, which glob patterns?

### Inferring from Context

If you have previous conversation context, infer rules from what was discussed. You can create multiple rules if the conversation covers distinct topics or patterns. Don't ask redundant questions if the context al…

Results vary by model and temperature; treat the first response as a draft and refine it with follow-up prompts.

Tips by platform

Claude

With Claude, drop this skill into Project knowledge so every chat in the project inherits it. Ask Claude to restate the goal first, then run — it catches edge cases early.

ChatGPT

For ChatGPT, save this skill as a Custom Instruction or a saved prompt so it is one click away. Add your specifics in a follow-up rather than editing the original.

Cursor

In Cursor, lift the key instructions from this skill into .cursorrules or a SKILL.md file, then reference it in Agent mode with @ mentions. Keep the title in a comment so teammates can find it on OpenRuna.

Frequently asked questions

What is "create-rule"?
It is a skill listed on OpenRuna — Create Cursor rules for persistent AI guidance. Use when you want to create a rule, add coding standards, set up project conventions, configure file-specific patterns, create RULE.md files, or asks about .cursor/rules/ or AGENTS.md. You can copy and adapt it for ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any other AI assistant.
Is "create-rule" free to use?
Most OpenRuna resources are open or CC0-licensed. Check the license shown on this page before commercial use; premium collections are clearly marked as such.
How do I get the best results from this skill?
Replace any placeholders, add your project context, and ask the model to confirm its assumptions first. Iterate over 2–3 follow-up turns rather than expecting a perfect first response.
Does "create-rule" work with both Claude and ChatGPT?
Yes — it is model-agnostic text, so it runs on Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Cursor. The tips on this page cover each of those assistants specifically.
Where can I find resources related to "create-rule"?
Scroll to the Related resources section on this page, or open the matching category hub on OpenRuna to find connected prompts, tools, agents, and datasets in the same topic area.

Related resources